Mommy, can we make a cake?

Well, of course we can! But, I'm not much in a mood to make a cake, so let's make a quick one. Boy, do I love it when Lily asks to bake. At 3 ½, she's already found her inner Betty Crocker. She even insisted we both wear our aprons. Don't worry. I've also taught her the most important part of baking. Licking the spatula ^_^

So we mixed and stirred and whisked and poured. And then we licked. Of course, we made a mess! But then, we had cake.

The best chocolate cake there ever was. Oh, and its vegan. Y-U-M!! We have always known it as Mix-In-A-Pan cake in our family. It also goes by many other names. It was not developed as a vegan recipe; it has its roots back in the war times and depressions of the United States in the early Twentieth Century. It is milk-less, egg-less and butter-less. Sorry, but it is not calorie-less. It is best served warm with a generous dollop of cool whip (or your favorite whipped cream variation).



Mix-In-A-Pan Cake

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
6 Tbs cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 Tbs vinegar
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups water

Mix all dry ingredients together in 9x13 baking pan. (Alternatively, you can add all ingredients in a bowl and mix there before pouring into a greased pan.) Add wet ingredients to pan and mix well until all dry ingredients are well incorporated.  Bake at 350°F for 50 minutes.